Puissance, Dressage, and S.W.A.T.!

Friday night a friend and I went to the Washington International Horse Show at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. We made it in time to watch the Puissance competition, which went for only about 45 minutes because they only made it 2 rounds to 6'1". Afterwards we ate at Fado's outside of Chinatown, which was an amazing meal since we were both pretty hungry! It was a pretty fun night!



Saturday took Wanda to Morven Park in Leesburg, VA for the Morven Park Benefit Dressage Schooling Show. I had originally entered this show to ride the Training eventing tests in preparation for moving up to Training, but due to recent refusals at Seneca and Middleburg and an elimination at Waredaca, plans changed. So, I used it as a schooling just to see where we were in our dressage work. I had entered in Novice B (as a warm up), Training A, and Training B, but scratched from Training B because I didn't want to over face her with all the lengthening and such. The judge was Evelyn Susol, a widely known dressage judge in the Virginia area. For the Novice B test, we got a 36.5%, best movements being 7's on my trot and canter circles, and lowest movements being 5's on my turns and medium walks. We tend to swing wide and lose momentum from her hind legs. For the Training test A, we got a 39%, which isn't terrible for our first time riding this test! We got an 8 on our stretch-down trot circle, and a few 5's on a 15meter canter circle and a trot lengthening. All-in-all I thought it was a pretty successful day, and I was really proud of how relaxed she was being there. I was even asked if she was for sale, and told by someone that they wished they had a horse that was "easy to ride". (I said, "me too!")


Saturday night I got together with my friends (dressed as a banana, disgusting feminine pad, chicken, and a kissing booth), and we jumped on the Vienna metro to the Clarendon Bar & Grill in Clarendon, VA. I pulled together a home-made S.W.A.T. team member outfit, and it worked out perfect. Unfortunately, I hadn't eaten beforehand, so my night was spent thinking about how I could sneak away from my friends to get some food! We left D.C. around 12am and hit up Taco Bell on the way home. It was pretty hilarious sitting in the metro looking across the tracks to see a bull & matador, mario & luigi, chilean miner, fisherman, gumbi, orphan Annie, and numerous other oddities. There were about a billion people dressed up as miners. I'd say that was the most common costume this year. Gotta start working on next year's costume!!

The Unfortunate Waredaca Horse Trials

So Wanda and I have been having hiccups at our events lately. It's frustrating because we started off in the Spring winning everything, and lately we haven't been able to complete an event without a run-out.

This past weekend was pretty busy for us. On Friday I trailered Wanda to Millwood and had an extremely productive jump lesson with Cathy. Saturday morning Christie rode with me to Waredaca to walk my xcountry course, then I competed Wanda at the Sandstone Farms Schooling Show in the Novice division to ride through a dressage test. With Lucy Eddins as our judge, we placed 1st in our class with a 26.9%, which is really good. We didn't do the jumping portion (I didn't want to jump her 3 days in a row), so we ended with a no-score finish. I was really proud of her though.

On Sunday, I competed Novice at the Waredaca Farms Horse Trials in Laytonsville, MD. My parents refuse to attend this event, because I have always had a rough time there. I'm pretty sure I've been eliminated or had major penalties every time I've been there in the past. Unfortunately, this time was no different. Our dressage test was unfortunate, because it was on grass footing on a slope, and Wanda was feeling kind of stubborn. We ended with a 39.5% putting us in 11th. Our worst score ever. ShowJumping went ok, but we were fairly unbalanced through a lot of the turns and I was lucky she was being good with her feet. We went double clear. Once we got to the xcountry, I was feeling pretty nervous about things and I guess she was, too. It felt like we were drifting left the entire first couple fences, and then we had a dirty run-out at a drop bank fence. I was able to circle and trot her down, and we kept going until we reached another drop bank two strides to water, and she stubbornly ran out left 3 times, eliminating us. I almost ran over the jump judge during the first run out because I was trying to avoid falling off, but she was extremely nice about it and even let us try again after we had been eliminated, just for schooling purposes. Unfortunately, Wanda wasn't having it. Stubborn mare!

When we left Waredaca, I called mom and we decided to take her to Frying Pan Park to school some banks so she didn't get it in her head that she could get away with not completing them. She balked a few times, but eventually went on, and then it seemed like they were no problem at all. I wouldn't normally go schooling after an event, but I felt it was necessary for the both of us, so it didn't turn in to a confidence problem. We just walked down the banks a few times, then packed up and went home. It was a very long weekend.

This weekend we are competing in 3 dressage tests at the Morven Park Benefit Dressage Show. Hopefully we can get our dressage sorted out, because the next weekend is our final event for the season, Rubicon. I'm also going to start her on a mare supplement to see if I can get some of her moodiness out. Stupid woman hormones!! We'll see how it goes :)

UPDATE!!!

Here's what we missed:

August:

• Drove to Canandaigua, NY with mom and dad, stayed at the Acorn Inn Bed & Breakfast, and passed my United States Pony Club 'H-A' Rating!!!
• Totaled my 2004 Mazda 3 "Craig" (ouch)
• Went to the DC Improv with a horsey friend, then ended up running in to Jennie Brannigan who just happened to be in DC for the night
• Started a new job as a public affairs intern at Weber Merritt, LLC
• Went to the motorcycle races at Summit Point, WV to watch a friend race.. bonus was when he won one!

September:

• Bought a 2011 Mazda 3 "Charlie"
• Competed novice at the Seneca Valley Pony Club Horse Trials with Wanda and had a refusal at the very first jump xcountry
• Went to a Toby Keith concert with a friend and ran in to a friend I haven't seen since high school
• Took a friend horseback riding for the first time at the Marriott Ranch for his birthday
• Went dancing in D.C. with my best girl friend
• Attended a Mary Schwentker xcountry clinic at Wingreen Farm with Wanda
• Family from England, Marion & Terry came to visit
• Aunt Bev & Uncle Reinhardt spent the night one night
• Competed novice at the Middleburg Horse Trials and had a refusal stadium. Ended 10th.

October:

• Jump-judged at Morven Park Horse Trials and got to see Sully run Prelim with Melissa Hunsberger
• Went to a birthday party at Marvins in D.C. and ended up at U Street Music Hall dancing the night away with Tristan's friends!
• Finished my Television Broadcasting class and got my diploma from the Columbia School of Broadcasting
• Dublin was having lameness issues, so we took him to the vet and found out he had worn the cartilage out from between his pastern joints, so we decided on a regional profusion of Tildren to see what would happen
• Went to the Virginia Gold Cup Steeplechase Races with Tristan, his gf, and my parents

So hopefully we're all caught up now :) I'll try to be better at updating!!

Catherine Haddad

This past weekend I got to ride with German-based dressage rider Catherine Haddad. She's in the US trying to qualify for the World Equestrian Games this summer, so my dressage trainer Patrick set up a clinic for the weekend. I couldn't afford two days of the clinic (it was REALLY expensive!), so we settled for Saturday only, which I think was better in the end! Saturday was about 100 degrees and Catherine worked us for 45 minutes straight with 2 walk breaks!!
She was an extremely good trainer. I would recommend her to anyone needing help with position and correctness. In the first 10 minutes, she had us warm up like usual and then push in to a very forward working trot. She decided that my leg position needed some improvement, so we switched out of my Passier dressage saddle in to a Stubben that she had designed. It had extremely flat panels but a very deep seat, allowing my leg to drop down and around the horse without being stuck in place by my saddle's big knee blocks. After we worked on changing saddles, we spent the next 30 minutes working on me being able to sit the trot (Wanda has a HUGE trot) and by the end I was sitting correct!! It was like, "learn to sit the trot in 40 minutes with Catherine Haddad". Fantastic!

If you're thinking about taking a lesson/clinic with her, I would definitely recommend it. No question. She will work your tail off, but it is worth it. Just make sure you're fit and the weather isn't ridiculous! She's also very nice, but stern. She takes her training very serious, and she expects you to feel the same about it. Hint: Do not ever ride with Catherine without spurs and a whip!! She loves weapons. Don't be caught without them!!

MDHT at Loch Moy

Today was the Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy I, and Wanda and I ended 8th! I had the opportunity to be accompanied by Cathy Fredrickson, who really helped out a TON during the event. It's so odd to actually travel to an event with your trainer and have them help you the entire time! I'm so used to a few encouraging words and then not seeing them again until the end (they usually have a bunch of horses to ride themselves!).


Our dressage went OK, even though we scored a 37. Definitely our worst score ever at novice, but I felt like she was much more together and correct. Just have to work on our softness a bit in the poll. I can definitely tell she is moving more underneath her back end, though! Unfortunately, that put us in like 6th after dressage, then we pulled two rails stadium (completely my fault, of course!). Cross country went clean, but we have a few things to work on!! It was also really crazy to run in to the TPF and Windurra crew! Phillip said hey to me and it totally boggled my mind. I'm so happy to have made such connections while in Pennsylvania!

The 66th Annual Judy Family Reunion

Today was the 66th annual Judy family reunion in Franklin, West Virginia. It's about a 2.5 hour drive over a very scary, very curvy mountain to get there. This was my mom's dad's family, so we represent his side with my mom's mom (my grandmother), my mom's brother Jerry, my mom, dad, Tristan, and I. It's always a good time, but also a very long day! This year was my Uncle Dick's 80th birthday, so we had a big cake with his face on it for him. We also do an egg toss every year, and I was dad's partner. Unfortunately, my eyes aren't quite as adjusted as I thought they were, so I took a few too many steps to get an egg smashed down my arms and shirt! It was good to see everyone this year!

Birthday, Lasik, and a Wedding!

Been a very busy couple of weeks around here and Millwood!

June 13th was my 23rd birthday, and it was awesome. I got to see Nick Thune at the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (he has a show on Comedy Central) which was pretty cool! Sunday was spent kayaking on the Potomac River, then home for some champagne and cake with the parents, and then the season premier of True Blood! Couldn't have been happier :)

Getting older the birthday gifts get more mature and less fun. This year, instead of asking for cd's and money, I asked my parents to contribute to my getting Lasik eye surgery. They thought it was a great idea, so June 24th I had it done. I could not have chosen anything better! Unfortunately I had to put the riding on hold for a week, but in the end I think it will all be worth it. The procedure was painless and quick, took about 15 minutes! It was quite expensive, but the cost is nothing compared to being able to see without contacts or glasses. It is so weird waking up in the mornings and being able to see everything without having to scramble to find my glasses. I still have a bit of recovery to go, but it is so much better already!!! Just have to keep putting drops in for the next 8 months or so!



And finally, Saturday was my cousin Jessica's wedding to her fiancee Rob, who has been with the family for quite some time now. I can't even remember a time before they started dating! They had their wedding at our family's farm (Millwood) in Boyce, Virginia, and it was gorgeous! All our family was able to come out, from California to Florida (and even Germany!). It was fantastic to see everyone together all at once. Congrats to Jessica and Rob Johnson!!

My date and I at the wedding


Now it's time to study, study for my H-A Rating!!!! 1 month to go!!